Hyderabad: Sounding the bugle of nationalism, BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) president L K Advani today (Oct 24, 2004) told the party cadre they need not be apologetic about "our beliefs" on RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh).

"There's nothing to be apologetic about our roots and we need not be guilty of our beliefs whether people call it cultural nationalism or Hindutva," he said addressing party workers at the State executive meeting in Hyderabad.

Describing as "gratifying coincidence", his visit to RSS headquarters at Nagpur in less than a week after taking over as BJP president, Advani said, the programme was decided much in advance while the proposal to take over the party reins had come to him only one day in advance.

"Detractors may attribute motives to it, but my going to Nagpur was fixed much before I became the party president. RSS has an influence on my lifestyle, thought and line of action and one need not be guilty about it," he said.

"The bond between us and RSS is so strong that we had to severe ties with Janata Party (which has shown reservation to RSS links) and formed BJP in 1980 as we go by what we believe in," Advani said and appealed to the cadre to build the party on its ideological base irrespective of the electoral results.

"We change with times and our political line may take new turn but our ideology of nationalism remains the same," he said adding that there will be no stagnation in thinking and they will update their approach in tune with contemporary times.